


Delinquent

by ch0c0_s1im3



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Can I like, F/F, Get a schedule, Minor Violence, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ch0c0_s1im3/pseuds/ch0c0_s1im3
Summary: Delinquent AU where there's a war between Haneoka and Hanasakigawa
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Shirokane Rinko, Imai Lisa/Minato Yukina
Comments: 29
Kudos: 63





	1. Lawless

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing a fic, wrote this as a challenge from some redditors, y'all better give me my karma after this.

Sayo Hikawa glared at the Haneoka trespasser laying prone on the ground, her fists trembled with adrenaline as she reached out to lift the girls head like a piece of trash. Confirming that the girl was still alive, Sayo laid her face back onto the concrete before swiftly but gently picking her up and carrying her to the nurse's office.

The dispute between the schools of Haneoka and Hanasakigawa was a long and infamous rivalry, stretching years before Sayo joined Hanasakigawa, which eventually escalated into a war between the schools, neither side was allowed to be seen with each other unless to fight. 

Yet, it was none of Sayo Hikawas business.

Sayo Hikawa was still a student, she had joined Hanasakigawa in an attempt to step out of the large shadow her sister had cast over her. Though Hanasakigawa was known to be worse than Haneoka, she had not known it would have been so... So unruly. The first day she walked into the school she noticed how every other student was dressed. Skirts inches too short, accessories and alterations decorated their uniforms, their tops unbuttoned in an attempt to show off, heavy makeup painted over their faces to cover up their imperfections.

Sayo Hikawa was almost excited for the first period to start, to watch the teachers berate and whip these first years into shape, but as lessons went on, none of that happened. Sayo free increasingly impatient as every period passed, as every teacher came in and out to introduce themselves to the class, as each one of them left still wearing the fake smiles they brought with them into class. Sayo Hikawa knew at that moment, that the school was a bigger joke than anyone could have possibly imagined.

For one year, for an entire year, Sayo Hikawa restrained herself.

She learned to ignore all of these transgressions, surely if she pretended they weren't there for long enough, they would eventually disappear right? After all, it worked with her sister. However, as she progressed into her second year, Hanasakigawa faced a new problem, the Haneoka trespassers.

Haneoka students were sent to try and take down Hanasakigawa from the inside, they tended to meddle with the school's equipment or stole belongings from Hanasakigawa students. At first, they were rather meek and passive, leaving the school grounds immediately after they were caught, but as time went on they got more and more aggressive. Sayo recalled the first time she had to fight one of them vividly, the soft yet deafening crunch produced as her fist was driven straight into the other girl's jaw. 

Sayo shook that thought out of her head as she entered the bathroom, the nurses had enough people to take care of, if they even cared enough to do as such. The teal haired girl blew the blood out of her nose before splashing water on her face. As she washed the blood and dirt off her knuckles, she noticed what was the start of a nasty set of bruises that lined her knuckles, a grim reminder of today's events. Looking at her reflection, Sayo scowled deeply at what she had become, a delinquent. There was no denying it, however, in the face of lawlessness and a negligent system, if this was what she had to do to protect her then-

"Hi...Hikawa-san?"

Oh no.

A soft yet firm voiced pierced through the air as Sayo noticed her nose dripping blood again. She tried, unsuccessfully, to wipe off the trail before the other girl crossed the bathroom in a few quick strides. Sayo looked to her left and saw a curtain of black hair covering the girls face, Sayo knew behind it were the most beautiful set of lilac eyes she had ever seen. Quickly, the other girl picked up Sayos hands an examined them, noting the cuts which Sayo didn't notice.

A blush crept up onto the teal haired girls face, the warmth of the other girl's hands already coaxing out the softer Sayo from within.

"Hikawa-san..."

"I'm fine, Shirokane-san" Sayo cut in before the girl could continue, "I just have a few minor scraped and bruises, nothing I can't handle."

But the trail of blood that once again, much to Sayo's annoyance, left her nostril and trailed all the way down to her cheek this time, before dripping onto the floor. Sayo's could hear her heart pounding in her chest as the two of them silently stared at the small puddle of red before Rinko grimaced and opened the storage closet to bring out the first aid kit.

Rinko gently tended to the cuts and bruises on Sayo's hands, applying antiseptic gently with a Q-tip before massaging her bruises with ointment. Despite the familiarity with this routine, Sayo still felt embarrassed that Rinko had to take care of her like this, she tried to will her heart to calm down lest Rinko could feel it through her radius. 

Her hands stung every time Rinko accidentally grazed over a cut, and the bruises hurt much more than Sayo thought they would. However, Sayo's face betrayed no emotion other than indifference, she had long gotten over showing her emotions. Betraying any sort of weakness in front of Rinko was unacceptable.

"All done..." Rinko said, smiling brightly at Sayo, her long bangs shifting so that Sayo could barely the amethysts they hid. "Please be more careful next time Hikawa-san..."

Sayo gazed into those eyes that only held care and concern for her, how long had it been since she'd seen such an expression on anyone else's face? 

"Yes, Shirokane-san," Sayo said, withdrawing her hands, she looked down at them, rough, calloused and ugly from fighting and playing the guitar, "I'm sorry for making you worry, I found another Haneoka student trespassing on our grounds."

Rinko grimaced as she slowly reached out to Sayo, but she thought better of it and withdrew her hands, instead opting to shift her bangs away to look Sayo in the eyes.

"You dont have to fight all of them Hikawa-san..." Rinko said, voice softer than a whisper, "you... don’t have to protect all of us..."

"But then who will?" Sayo said, walking away from Rinko, "I have to get going now, thank you for tending to my injuries for me, Shirokane-san"

"Th-thank you... for the hard work... you always put in..." 

With that, Sayo left without sparing Rinko another glance, she had already said too much. Sayo retrieved her bag she had left in her classroom and set off back home.


	2. Moonlight Sonata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rinko gets very Angsty™ thinking about her Hikawa-san

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How the fuck did I get here, this chapter was not planned to be finished by today what the fuck. I did talk about how the SayoRin fandom was thirsty for content to a friend but I didnt except myself to be this thirsty as well.

Shirokane Rinko gazed longingly as Sayo half ran out of the bathroom, she looked down at her hands, already missing the warmth Sayo had provided.

The rough, calloused hands of the teallete were nothing but a testament to all she has done for the school. In contrast, Rinko's hands were smooth and tender with no hints of previous injuries or work.

Rinko looked at her reflection on the mirror, then back to her hands, did she really deserve to be the student council president?

Rinko Shirokane had always been a quiet and timid girl. If she had to choose between what would be a fun activity in a group and hiding in her room, she would select the latter with no hesitation. But that didn't stop the regret.

Often, Rinko would loathe herself for being so introverted. Why was talking so exhausting? Why did she find people so scary? Why can't she look someone in the eyes without freezing up? These were the questions she asked herself almost daily.

Rinko unlocked the door to her house gently, even though she knew no one would be home. She rushed quickly into her room, dropping her shoes and bag in the process. There was one respite from her thoughts, a foolproof method to stop her self-loathe.

Rinko lifted the jaws of the black monstrosity and secured the lid prop in one swift motion. Like clockwork, she sat on her bench and ran her hands over the keyboard. The beast that stood before her would scare most people, it's intimidating complexity driving off most before they could even start, but not Rinko Shirokane.

Rinko closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, exhaling as the monster came to life. Beautiful sounds of her piano reverberated through the house as Rinko started her piece.

Ludwig Van Beethoven's, Moonlight Sonata.

Rinko was filled with a sense of serenity as she started the first movement, she poured all her anguish through her music, filling the melody with her sadness and fears as they became the slow harmonious piece which she had learnt since she was 10.

She thought back to when she found out that Sayo was fighting another Haneoka student, her sprint through the halls to get to the nurse's office as quickly as she could, the sadness she had felt channelling through the keys.

When she found Sayo in the bathroom, battered and bruised but still standing strong, a sense of relief washed over her as she ran towards Sayo. Her relief, her joy, her concern took form in the lighter and chirpier tune of the second movement.

As she tended to Sayo's wounds, gently applying cream and massaging her bruises. Rinko's embarrassment, her discomfort, and her unyielding determination as she pushed through to tend to Sayo's injuries, red as a tomato, finished the second movement.

Rinko stopped and breathed for a moment, shifting the bangs which hid her eyes from the world. She wanted to continue to the third movement, to pour all her feelings out into her music, yet her hands wouldn't move. Was she worthy of these emotions? Could she bear to show them to the world? 

No, Rinko thought, steeling herself. She could indulge herself once in a while.

Her nimble fingers flew across the keys as she started movement three, her figure unwavering as she dreamt about the future, a future with Sayo. Sayo was always an interesting person, nothing like the majority of the Hanasakigawa students. Never once did Sayo come to school in an imperfect uniform, nor did she ever have any accessories pinned to her hair. Rinko had often found herself staring at the teal haired girl from the back of the class as she answered questions and did her work. Sayo was the embodiment of the perfect student, smart, hardworking, disciplined and under her layers of defences, if you looked long enough, she was kind and soft-hearted.

When Rinko took up the mantle of the student council president under the insistence of the previous one, despite her protests that there was a much better candidate, Sayo had suddenly changed. She started getting involved in getting the students to follow the rules, and if they did not want to comply, they were met by the force that was the strongest girl in Hanasakigawa. Even when the Haneoka trespassers started coming, they stood no chance against the disciplinarian working from the shadows.

Sayo Hikawa was the perfect white knight for Rinko, strong and dependable, beautiful yet down to earth, strict but kind-hearted... and completely unattainable.

But Rinko Shirokane could dream.

The chords gained a new sound as Rinko poured her heart and soul into the keys, pressing down harder than she usually does but not slamming them. She dreamt about a future where Sayo would always be there for her, a future where the world was no longer a grim place where Sayo had to fight, a future where Sayo Hikawa loved her.

Rinko let out a frustrated sob as she bore down upon the keyboard, the final notes of the song echoing dissonantly through the room. The Rinko Shirokane she saw herself as was a fool, how could someone as strong and disciplined as Sayo like someone so meek and introverted like herself.

She wiped away the tears that she hadn't realised we're dripping down her face throughout the piece as she slumped over the keyboard. Rinko Shirokane only had her piano for herself.

And it would have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated, pls no lil
> 
> I need a proof reader


	3. Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consistent upload schedules? Hah! What's that?

Sayo sat and stared at her reflection as she strummed her guitar, the full wall mirror seemed intimidating as it pointed out all the flaws in Hikawa Sayo.

She was in the dressing room of CiRCLE live house, the stark white walls and pretty mirrors and equipment did not reflect the studio's reputation at all.

Live houses are Japanese performance studios where people come to perform and listen to music. Ever since the yakuza took over Japan, long before Sayo was born, wearing masks of some sort to conceal the performer's identity became the norm. Even now after the government had re-established more control, the tradition of masked performers hasn't died yet.

CiRCLE was one of the more infamous live houses in the area, with an underground stage and studios anything could happen within these walls and they would be kept within them. Sayo did not think highly of the place, but as long as she could perform somewhere without the shadow of-

"How much longer are you going to practice for?"

Sayo glanced at the girl's reflection, she laid lazily on the couch, arms splayed out and legs crossed, also staring at Sayo's reflection. Much too relaxed for their upcoming live, Sayo thought, but she bit back her words as she muted her guitar strings.

"Practice makes perfect, Watanabe-san," Sayo started, "and if we want out upcoming live to be perfect, you should be practising too"

Watanabe Suzuki grimaced as she threw her head back over the couch, opting to stare at the ceiling meaninglessly instead of perfecting her drums.

"Don't bother with her Suzuki-chan," another voice piped out from the other side of the room, "she's never going to stop being so uptight"

Sayo held back a retort and instead opted to focus on the outro of her final song. Yamamoto Aki could think what she wanted to, and Sayo doesn't need to care. As long as results showed, Sayo didn't need to share the same mindset as her.

"No need to be so harsh on Sayo-san, Aki," said Sato Michi, as she tending to Aki's hair, "she just wants the best for the band!"

"Stage in 5 minutes, girls!" Marina-san said cheerfully as she popped her head through a crack in the door.

Sayo sighed as she stood up from her stool, wincing as her knuckles grazed the counter in front of her donning her plain white mask with the rest of her band.

"Well then, let's go."

>~<

Sayo's face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to focus on Suzuki's drums, her hands flying across the fretboard. "Another missed note," she noted from Michi's playing.

Her scowl deepened as she realised that Aki had been singing off-tempo this entire time, even after weeks of practising this song.

A missed note here, a hesitation there, a random snare sounding from the drums right before her solo ended, causing her to miss her chord change by a fraction of a second.

Even with that sloppy performance, the crowd screamed and cheered for them, resounding shouts of her name followed by compliments were mixed in with the clapping. But Sayo knew they deserved none of it, and she was going to fix that.

"I can't- I CAN'T DO THIS WITH YOU ANYMORE!"

Yamamoto Aki's voice echoed through the dressing room, her face red with anger and her fists clenched as if she wanted to punch Sayo.

"I'm merely stating the facts here, Yamamoto-san" Sayo continued, "there's nothing ahead of us with the amount of practice we're doing right now."

"BUT WE DIDN'T EVEN DO THAT BADLY!" Aki once again shouted in Sayo's face, Sayo wondered how she had so much air left in her lungs after so many songs.

"14," Sayo started, "14 times Sato-san missed a note, 6 times your voice went off-tempo, and 2 mistakes Watanabe-san made during the three songs we had."

"I-"

"I admit, I had also made a mistake during the outro, and that was due to a lack of practice, we were completely unsynchronised and sounded horrible."

"Hey... Sayo," Suzuki spoke up from behind her rented drum set, "I understand where you're coming from but..." She twirled her drumsticks before pointing them towards Sayo.

"In a band, is there anything you care about other than skill?"

"Of course not," Sayo started as she turned to face Suzuki, "if you don't have the skill, there's no point in spending the time and effort to be in a band."

"No matter how many times we wow them with our performances or costumes, if we don't improve on our basics, even rookie bands will surpass us."

"You really are the worst, Sayo-san," Aki said, facing the floor as she trembled with anger "I know, I promised you and said we would be pros but," she lifted her head, looking at Sayo's eyes desperately "we're still friends aren't we?"

"...friends?" Sayo scoffed, "if you want friends, then you don't need instruments, or studios, or live houses, you could just go to karaoke or family restaurants like normal students, can't you?"

"If you want friends, this isn't the place to find one-"

Sayo was cut off by the palm flying to her face, she grabbed Aki's wrist, stopping it millimetres from her face, her face remained neutral as she tightened her grip while twisting the shorter girls arm downwards.

Tears welled up in Aki's eyes as she struggled against Sayo's tightening grip, worried that Sayo might crush her radius and ulna altogether, yet not willing to beg her to stop.

"Stop."

Sayo loosened her grip as Aki yanked her hand back, immediately cowering and meekly rubbing her wrist after her failed display of strength. Michi immediately started fussing over her, silently making sure she wasn't hurt

"Calm down Aki, you don't have to get so aggressive," Suzuki said cooly behind the drum set, rubbing her neck, "we don't have to fight over this, since only one of us is in disagreement..."

"...right, Sayo?"

Sayo had been prepared for this, but even as she told herself this she couldn't help but feel a sting hearing those words.

"Exactly," Sayo said, slinging her guitar case over her back, "I'll leave and you three continue, that'll be the best for all of us..."

Despite her skills, Sayo knew that she was disposable to the band, the three of them were close friends, while Sayo was just their band's guitarist. The only reason why Sayo was still in the band was that they had not found a replacement for her yet.

"We're still friends?" Sayo thought to herself, internally scoffing at how ridiculous the statement was, "We never were friends to begin with."

"...thank you for everything up till now," Sayo said as she opened the door and stepped out.

Her sigh filled the empty corridors as she was forced back to square one. How was she going to get to the Future World Fes at this rate? The prestigious event was only for the best bands and soloists in the generation, to set foot on that stage was her ultimate goal.

If she could get there then maybe... just maybe... she could step out of Hina's shadow.

"Oof"

Sayo snapped back into realist as she realised she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," Sayo immediately apologised, "I didn't notice you were there."

"You're the guitarist that performed earlier, aren't you?" The silver-haired girl asked, her golden eyes regarded Sayo as if she was a predator stalking its prey, despite being considerably shorter.

"I saw your performance earlier. Your guitar skills were incredible."

"...Not at all," Sayo said as disappointment filled her chest, "I got careless with the outro of the last song and I was late for the chord change, I'm sorry you had to see such a shoddy performance."

The girl looked shocked as she raised her hand to her mouth in consideration. For a second she stood there, deep in concentration, before finally extending her hand to Sayo, "Your name is Sayo right? I want you to form a band with me."

"...eh?" Sayo stuttered out, completely overwhelmed, she had been kicked out of her old band and was immediately being invited to a new one? "...with me...and you?"

Sayo studied the girl in front of her, she was dressed in a plain but frilly white blouse, with a black knee-length skirt and a single butterfly hairpin as an accessory, she certainly didn't seem like the kind of person that would stand out. Then again, after meeting Rinko, Sayo had learnt not to judge a book by its cover.

"I'm sorry, but I know nothing of your abilities, so I am unable to give you an answer right away."

"My name is Minato Yukina and I am a solo vocalist, I am currently looking for bandmates to join me in the Future World Fes."

Sayo was once again stunned by the girl in front of her, for someone to offer her everything she wanted, it was too good to be true, right?

"I've also wanted to enter the FWF, but even pros have failed to pass the contest necessary to enter... It really is the pinnacle of events."

"I've been in so many bands until now, but they've never been good enough so I'm starting to give up hope..." I don't want to waste any more time on this so if you don't have the ability and the resolve-"

"Yu~kina~" a cheery voice called out as a brunette peeked around the corner with a cat-like smile on her face, "what's taking you so long?"

"Fine then, I'm performing after the next act, you'll understand once you hear me," Yukina said, turning around and starting towards her friend.

"Wait a minute!" Sayo shouted, appalled by how impulsive Yukina was, "even if you do have the ability, how can I tell how serious you are towards music just from hearing you once?"

Suddenly, a menacing aura filled the room as Yukina clenched her fists, her stoic demeanour completely vanished, replaced by something filled with hate and anger. The girl standing at the end of the corridors expression shifted quickly from a smile to a mixture of sadness and worry.

"Do I look like a person who would just sit back and relax as long as I have the talent?" Yukina whispered.

"I'm willing to give up everything to enter the festival," Yukina shouted, whipping around, her golden eyes, now filled with a pale fire, bore into Sayo, "I don't believe my devotion to music or my ambition are in any way inferior to yours!"

Sayo gulped as she stood petrified by Yukina's glare, even after all the fights she had been in, no one had given off such a hostile aura before.

"Okay...but I'm going to listen to you only once."

"Fine," Yukina said with finality, "once is enough"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Criticism is always appreciated


	4. Songbird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rinko has Ako drag her along to CiRCLE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fuckin lied

Rinko stood awkwardly by the sidewalk, twiddling her thumbs as she waited, "I hope Ako-chan comes soon, I can't deal with crowds..."

With every passing second, Rinko felt her nails digging further and further into her palm, a bad habit she wants to correct. She sighed, pulling her hands apart and opting to grip her skirt instead, she wished she could just melt into the shadows or turn invisible, unable to be seen by anyone.

Finally, when Rinko thought she couldn't take it anymore, she heard the sound of heavy running as a flash of purple appeared before her.

"Oh, mage hailing from ancient times who fights alongside me..." the purple-haired girl chanted, "tonight, the seal of fire and darkness shall be broken, and let us... uh..."

The girl faltered, as usual, unable to remember the lines which Rinko had thought out for her last night, "...convene in the sacred land of the Nyx?"

"Convene in the sacred land of the Nyx!" The girl shouted excitedly, doing a happy hop before hugging Rinko excitedly, "thanks Rin-Rin!"

"Hello, Ako-chan..." Rinko said as she ruffled the shorter girls hair, which was tied up in two curly twintails with black ribbons to complement her purple hair.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rin-Rin! That intro you thought of for me was the coolest!"

"You're as cool as ever today... Ako-chan..."

"Ehehe, thanks!" Ako said as she pulled on Rinko's hand, "let's head off then!"

Ako turned around, striking a pose before promptly running into a girl with a huge black case on her back.

"I'm sorry! Did my case hit you?"

"No, no it's fine!" Ako said quickly, "I should be the one apologising!"

"Ah I see, we both should be more careful of our surroundings in the future."

With that, the girl quickly strode off into the crowd.

"Hey Rin-rin," Ako whispered, "that girl is carrying a guitar case right? Does that mean she's in a band?"

"I wanna be in a band too, it's so cool!" Ako shouted before Rinko could reply.

Rinko always knew she wasn't interesting enough to talk about, why would the short bubbly girl want to hear about her student life or how she pathetically crushes on a certain teal haired girl from her school? Not that Rinko would want to talk about it anyways. But Ako would always be there to fill in the gaps of the conversation, silence is impossible in the presence of Udagawa Ako.

"A... Band?" Rinko repeated, "it's... Because your sister is in a band too... Right?"

"Yeah!" Ako said as she whipped out her phone, "here's a video of her playing live! Isn't she awesome?!"

Rinko watched in amazement as the drummer of Afterglow beat the drum set with a ferocity that would make her taiko mentors proud, the rest of afterglow using her as their beat as they played That's How I Roll.

"Yeah, she's amazing..!"

"That's right! She's the best sister I could possibly ask for!" Ako said as she struck another pose, "I've also been practising on my drums so I can be as cool as her one day!"

"Really..? That's amazing Ako-chan."

"That's why I wanted to show you something today!"

"A band huh?" Rinko thought to herself, she had plenty of experience with her piano, she had even started playing the keyboard a year ago, if she wanted to, she might be able to do decently in a band, "that's a world I can't even begin to imagine..."

"Rin-rin, are you listening?" Ako said, her face suddenly inches away from the taller girl's, "we have a tight schedule today, so let's get going!"

"Ah... Sure."

\-------------------

"I can't do this Ako-chan..." Rinko said as she grasped her chest, trying to steady her breathing, "too... many... people..."

"Wah! You're turning blue Rin-rin!" Ako shouted as she grabbed onto Rinko's shoulders, "don't die until you've heard Yukina's singing!"

Rinko was on the verge of fainting, her hands and legs felt numb, and breathing wasn't her priority anymore as she failed to stand, she tried her best not to collapse. Ako's presence was the only thing keeping her conscious at the moment.

"...Shirokane-san?" A familiar voice called out.

Rinko latched on to the voice and tried to focus. When she looked up, she saw Hikawa Sayo standing over her, with a brunette peeking over her shoulder.

"Can't... breathe..." Rinko muttered as she felt Ako's tight grip disappear from her shoulders, replaced by a soft but firm grip.

"Count to ten with me," Sayo said simply as she sat Rinko down.

Sayo started as she appeared in front of Rinko, she felt her hand being squeezed and let go rhythmically as Sayo counted to ten. Rinko focused on every word and every squeeze from Sayo as the girl encouraged her between breaths.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rinko felt the tightness leave her chest, her hands and legs still felt numb but much less so than before. She looked up to thank Sayo when she saw the teal haired girl being relentlessly teased by her friend.

"Aw~ Sayo, I thought you were cold at first, but you have a soft side to you~"

"Imai-san, I am simply helping my friend in her time of need, does that warrant such a reaction?" Sayo's face was flushed red with embarrassment.

"But it's a compliment Sayo~"

Rinko's face also burned a bright red at these words, she realised she had been so pathetically vulnerable right in front of Sayo, and probably would have passed out if it wasn't for her.

But at the same time, Sayo also allowed her to treat her injuries just the day before, was it considered fair that she could show her own weakness in front of her? In any case, Rinko was grateful for Sayo's help, and she couldn't deny that the experience with her wasn't the worst...

"Rin-rin, are you okay?" Ako said with apologetic eyes, "sorry for forcing you to come here..."

"It's fine Ako-chan, it's not your fault I'm so weak..." Rinko said, looking down at the floor.

"Rin-rin, don't say that-"

"Imai-san!" Sayo suddenly whisper shouted at the brunette.

"Fine, fine I'll stop," the girl said with a wink as she looked towards Rinko, "hello, I haven't introduced myself have I? I'm Imai Lisa."

"H-hello, Imai-san..." Rinko muttered.

"Are you feeling better now, Shirokane-san?" Sayo asked, pulling a water bottle out of her guitar case, "sorry, I would have offered this to you earlier, but someone wouldn't stop distracting me."

Lisa stuck her tongue out sheepishly as Rinko took grateful sips of water, "thank you... Hikawa-san... I don't know... what I would've done... Without you..."

"It's fine," Sayo said quickly, "you're my classmate, I couldn't just stand by and watch..."

Rinko could have sworn she heard Sayo mutter something else, but the words were lost in the throngs of people. Lisa's mouth, however, upturned into a cat-like smile, ready to tease Sayo. 

At that moment, the lights all around dimmed. The live house filled with a deafening silence as everyone waited in anticipation for the final act of the night. Then, a girl with long silver hair strode on stage, a white masquerade shaped like a butterfly covered the top half of her face.

Rinko looked over at her friends and saw Ako's eyes sparkling with excitement, Sayo had a curious look on her face, as if she was a judge of a competition. But her friend Lisa wore a worried look on her face as she stared at the girl on stage. Years of weight seemed to be added onto Lisa's face as Yukina grabbed onto the mic stand.

"Shout."

Then she started singing.

One by one, every word, every note merged. The powerful voice took form and erupted forth, enveloping not just the audience but the entirety of CiRCLE. With each line, Rinko paid less and less attention to her surroundings until there was only Yukina. Her melodic voice filled Rinko's head with peace and serenity, yet pumped her up with confidence. It wasn't like anything Rinko had ever heard before.

"This is it..." Rinko could hear Sayo mutter beside her, "this is what I was looking for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I do this to myself


	5. Anfang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a new s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶ I mean proof reader! :D
> 
> Thank you Mr. Sigmalives!

"So how was it, my singing?"

Sayo found herself back in a changing room, this time accompanied by the lone wolf songstress Yukina Minato, and her polar opposite, Lisa Imai.

Lisa was fussing over Yukina at a makeup table, wiping off the thin layer that Lisa herself insisted Yukina wore every time she went on stage. Yukina had no knowledge of how to use any form of makeup so Lisa had to do it for her.

Sayo only knew this because Lisa would not stop talking throughout the entire walk to the mosh pit and back to the studio room. Sayo didn't particularly want to talk, but she didn't mind listening to Lisa's stories while she was trying to distract herself from the reality that she got kicked out from her band.

"I can't even put it into words... Your voice, it's more incredible than anything I've ever heard," Sayo met Yukina's gaze with resolve, "I want to form a band with you. Together, we'll reach the top, I know it."

"Right," Yukina said coolly, "I hope you don't mind, but Lisa will be joining as our bassist."

"...Imai-san?" 

"I haven't played in a while, so my skills aren't that good, but I'll try my best to keep up with the band~☆"

Sayo wanted to ask how she did that with her mouth.

Lisa was the complete opposite of Yukina, one was warm and friendly, the other was cold and indifferent. Lisa had a visible layer of makeup on her face, lips glossed and earrings. The only accessory Yukina had was a single butterfly pin on her head. It was a miracle that they were friends, but would Lisa have the same resolve as Yukina?

"I understand, I doubt that you would let your personal feelings get in the way of music," Sayo stated, "however, if she falls behind or lacks the resolve, I do hope you have the strength to do what's right."

"I wouldn't hesitate to kick her out if she can't keep up Sayo."

"Yukina..." Lisa said without her usual singsong voice this time, "I know I don't have raw talent, but I promise I'll practice hard to keep up with you."

As Lisa crossed her hands sheepishly, Sayo caught a glimpse of Lisa's nails. They completely clashed with the rest of her body, despite being well-groomed, they were free of any nail polish and as short as they could be without cutting into the flesh. Even then, her thumb had a bit of her nail chipped off, just how much did this girl practice?

"It's fine, Imai-san," Sayo said quickly, "I look forward to working with you in the future."

"Thanks, Sayo~," Lisa said with a wink, "now who wants some cookies!"

"Lisa I just finished a live."

"Which is why we should celebrate, Yu~kina~"

Sayo could see Yukina's resolve crumbling as a cookie was shoved into her face.

"Open wide~"

"Lisa, Sayo is here."

"I don't mind, as long as you don't let your relationship get in the way of music."

"See, now open wide~"

Sayo watched as the lone wolf songstress, who was infamous for being cold, opened her mouth up tentatively, blushing furiously, as Lisa gently pushed a cookie into her mouth.

"Th-thank you," Yukina mumbled

"Do you want a cookie too Sayo~?" Lisa asked as she took another cookie out of her bag.

"I think I'll have to pass Imai-"

"Take the cookie, or I'm feeding you like Yukina," Lisa teased with a smug smile.

"Thank you for the cookie, Imai-san" 

\------------------

For unknown reasons, Marina insists that CiRCLE is closed by 2.30 am at the latest, so Sayo and her new bandmates had their cookie party interrupted by a very tired Marina kicking them out.

Despite it being 2 am, Sayo felt no tiredness or fatigue, in fact, she felt rejuvenated after finding two new bandmates. Sayo had learnt a lot about the lone wolf songstress from talking to Lisa and reading online while waiting, she had no doubt this was the best band that she has ever been in.

Sayo did have some uncertainties though, what if she wasn't good enough? What if they couldn't find more suitable band members in time for practice? What if they all weren't good enough for the Future World Fes in the first place? Why couldn't Sayo resist Lisa's cookies?

Sayo considered these as she nibbled gratefully on the last cookie of the batch, savouring every last crumb of the perfectly baked confectionery.

"Do you have any prospects for any other members yet, Minato-san?" Sayo inquired.

"No, we will need drums for the rhythm section, and a keyboard is essential in the genre we are going for."

"Another two people... In any case, let's hurry."

"Calm down Sayo, I can ask my contacts to see if any of them know of good drummers or keyboardists, it'll be easy~☆"

Sayo once again wanted to ask how she did that with her mouth but realised that she probably was better off not knowing.

"We need time to practice, Imai-san, I would be very thankful if you could ask your contacts as soon as possible so we can reserve practice slots."

"Then we will write the perfect songs to enter the contest in our ideal form," Yukina added.

"Geez, you two are so alike, I can't believe-"

"Um!" A high pitched voice cut Lisa off, the three of them suddenly saw a short purple-haired girl standing in front of them with a frenzied look in her eyes.

"Hold on, you're Shirokane-san's friends, aren't you?" Sayo asked, recalling seeing the short girl with Rinko, though she never got the chance to introduce herself after rushing off to see Yukina.

"Y-yes!" The girl replied before going back to Yukina, "What you said earlier, is it true? You're forming a band?!"

"...yes."

"I've been your fan for ages! I really admire you, so please let me join your band!"

The three of them were caught off guard by the sudden proposal, the girl in front of them was literally begging to join, Sayo wondered how Yukina would handle this.

"I'm Udagawa Ako from Haneoka Junior High, and I'm the second-best drummer in the world!"

"You're from Haneoka?!"

"Wait, Udagawa Ako?"

"Go home."

Yukina cut both Lisa and Sayo off as she glared at the girl before her.

"Go play around somewhere else, I don't have time for people bragging about being only second-best."

"B-but-"

"Hey Yukina, I know this girl, she's from the dance club," Lisa interjected.

"You're from the dance club too?"

"How does that change things?"

"She's one of the lead dancers from the junior high and I've heard she can get really serious when she tries, so let's give her a chance okay?"

"Ah, wait you're Lisa-nee aren't you?!" Ako shouted excitedly

Then Sayo noticed her, the unmistakable jet-black hair and lilac eyes peeking around the corner. If these people were really from Haneoka...

"Shirokane-san," Sayo greeted quickly as she strode over to Rinko, "you know of the Haneoka junior high student?"

"Y-yes... Hikawa-san..." Rinko replied bashfully, hands gripping onto the corner of the entrance, "Ako-chan dragged me here to meet Yukina... I- I promise she means no harm! She just really admires the singer... I think..."

Sayo regarded the short girl currently being hugged by Lisa in what seems to be an attempt to make her look cuter.

"Hikawa-san..." Rinko started, "is it true? That you're in a band?"

"...yes," Sayo didn't know if she should let Rinko know about her past experiences, "I've been in many bands by now, trying to find the one that I can achieve my goals with, I really think this might be the one."

"Do you think..."

"YAY!" Ako's voice echoed around the corridor and out of the CiRCLE as she bounded up to Rinko, "I DID IT RIN-RIN!"

"Not quite yet," Yukina said, walking out with Lisa, "I said I'd give you one try to play."

"And I'm sure that I can impress you with my playing! I promise, Yukina-san!"

Yukina sighed deeply, rubbing her temples as Lisa tried to placate her.

"Well, now we hopefully just need to keyboardist to complete the band~," Lisa said encouragingly.

Sayo heard Rinko squeak behind her, was there something she wanted to say?

"Hold on," Sayo decided that could wait, " are all of you from Haneoka high?"

"Yes, we are second years studying in Haneoka high, is there a problem?"

"Have you never heard of me?" Sayo asked incredulously, pulling out a pink bunny mask she was infamous for wearing and fighting in.

Lisa gasped in recognition while Yukina stared blankly, "wait, Sayo, as in Hikawa Sayo of Hanasakigawa?"

"Was there any other?"

"Does it matter?" Yukina asked bluntly.

"What do you mean, Minato-san?"

"We're here to make music, not trade fists, I don't expect some silly rivalry between our schools to affect anything. I don't know your motives are, or my school's motives, Sayo, but I do know that we are like-minded, and I know that you're willing to do what it takes to get on that stage," Yukina explained calmly.

"So tell me Sayo, are you joining us, or are you going to let our school's issues affect your music."

Sayo considered for a moment, it certainly would be dangerous, but at the same time, Yukina was the best bet she had at getting to the Future World Fes. And as much as Sayo didn't want to admit it, she was starting to like spending time around Yukina and Lisa, they understood her like Rinko does.

Does she have to give up all of that just because of some unruly Haneoka students?

"There's no room for personal feelings in our band," Sayo said.

A faint smile danced on Yukina's lips before she returned to her stoic demeanour. 

"Um..."

Sayo had forgotten about Rinko's presence, and Ako's too, the purple-haired girl just stared in awe at Yukina, while Rinko fidgeted behind the wall, her firsts tightly gripped together.

"It's alright Shirokane-san, they won't hurt us, I think..."

"Th-thats not it..." Rinko looks like she was on the verge of tears, Sayo could vaguely make out Yukina arranging dates with Ako for her audition, but she tuned them out.

"Shirokane-san, we can talk in private if you want," Sayo offered, "I won't judge you for what you say."

A soft whisper escaped Rinko's lips as she clenched her fists tighter around her sides.

"What did you say, Shirokane-san," Sayo was unsure if she heard Rinko correctly but if she did...

Then suddenly, Rinko looked up and met Sayo's gaze. For once, Sayo could fully admire Rinko's eyes when they weren't fully hidden behind the black curtain. They were burning with a fiery passion that Sayo had never seen before.

"I can play the keyboard!" Rinko shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway, it was nowhere near as loud as Ako's shout was, but it stunned everyone into silence.

Sayo regarded Rinko with newfound respect as Yukina eyed the girl.

"Well my name is Minato Yukina, and I'm looking for people to join my band."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 days 2 chapters, happy belated new years!


	6. Change

Rinko fell flat on the bed in exhaustion at the early hour of 4 in the morning. A deep sigh escaped her lips and into her pillow as she recalled the day's events.

It had started out normal enough with Ako insisting over a call that they had to go somewhere, Rinko had assumed it was a new internet café that had opened, or perhaps a store which sold NFO merchandise. She did not expect to be dragged to what was essentially a concert hall with twice the people and half the organisation.

Her panic attack in front of Ako and Sayo left her embarrassed and exhausted (though she was rather happy she got to see that caring side of Sayo), before being blown away by Yukina's amazing performance on stage.

Then Ako yet again insisted they had to go somewhere, this time being the entrance to the changing rooms of CiRCLE, where they camped for a few minutes before watching Sayo, Yukina and Lisa walk out discussing band matters. Ako popping out to ask if she could join the band took Rinko by surprise for sure, but it also gave her a weird stir in her chest.

A band, practising with friends, playing in front of people, it all frightened her greatly. But her heart insisted otherwise when she saw Sayo walking next to her new bandmates contentedly, wearing a small smile on her face.

Maybe, just maybe, she could change.

She wasn't quite sure what happened next, but all of a sudden Yukina Minato was in front of her, offering a spot in her band while Sayo listed off her good qualities, and the little known fact that she had won a piano competition when she was younger.

Rinko's phone vibrated, that's weird? Who would message her at such an hour? Ako was undoubtedly sleeping soundly now and she didn't know anyone else that would possibly message her.

She picked up her phone to see a long essay sent from none other than Sayo Hikawa, of course, complete with nothing less than perfect punctuation and grammar.

Rinko grinned to herself as she slowly read through the message. Half of it was thanking her for stepping up and offering to play the keyboard for the band, the other half was Sayo explaining more about why she had joined a band in the first place. Lastly, there was a lengthy goodbye, well wishes, and promises to work hard with her in the near future.

Rinko's smile never wavered as she read and internalised every detail in the message. Learning about Sayo's dream of entering the Future World Fes and the fact that she had struggled in other bands.

Rinko thought about writing a long message back to show her appreciation, but she realised that it was almost 4.30 and both of them should probably be asleep if they wanted to do any of their assignments by Monday. So she opted for something simple instead.

"Thank you Hikawa-san, I hope we will work together in the future too! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧"

Rinko sighed again and held her phone to her chest, she had one try to impress Yukina with her skills, and the song Lisa had sent her and Ako didn't seem easy at all.

She flipped through the sheet music on her phone and marvelled at it, all of this was written by Yukina by herself, she really was an amazing composer.

Rinko had wanted to sleep, but suddenly she was filled with that confidence again, that burning passion for music.

She wants to play with everyone, failure was not an option.

Rinko went to the bathroom to wash her face but found herself staring at her reflection after a few splashes.

She wants to change, desperately so, she wants to be able to be braver, to look people in the eyes when they talk, to play on a stage where she could stand with her friends.

But could the girl in front of her do all that? The same girl that was always was quiet and timid, the girl that had a panic attack because there were too many people around her, the girl that can't look people in the eyes without those bangs covering them.

If a change was going to happen, she can't wait for the world to hand her opportunities on a silver platter as it already has, it has to start with herself.

Rinko was going to change herself.

Hastily, and slightly impulsively, she picked up the small pair of scissors hanging inside the cupboard. Normally, it was meant to cut one's lashes, but today it would be cutting something a lot longer.

Rinko pulled down her bangs with one hand while holding the pair of scissors in the other, she grimaced as she realised her bands could almost touch her nose. 

Carefully measuring to just about her eye level, Rinko started snipping. One by one, the strands of hair fell away, it almost hurt to see what had protected her so long gone, but she didn't need it anymore.

Looking at the mirror again, she smiled at herself, it wasn't a perfect cut but it was good enough. Her bangs now reached just above her eyes.

She would change, if not for herself then for her friends.

Rinko turned on her keyboard and placed her phone displaying the sheet music in front of her.

"Black shout..." She mumbled when she realised Lisa had named the document.

"That's a nice name..."

\----------------------

Rinko immediately regret everything as she trudged across the road to Hanasakigawa. Dark, heavy bags hung around Rinko's eyes and she squinted as rays from the rising sun attacked her eyes. Why did she have to report for student council duties an entire hour before school starts?

The entirety of Sunday was dedicated solely to practising the keyboard, and before Rinko knew it, it was already midnight and she hadn't even started on her homework. So four more tireless hours were spent slaving away at assignments she knew the teachers didn't care about, leaving her with an entire 2 hours of sleep before she had to wake up and go to school.

She was not ready for this.

"Shirokane-san," the voice called out yet again.

Rinko could only smile and turn around to greet Sayo, too late did she realise she no longer had her bangs to cover her dark eye circles.

"Good morning-" Sayo inhaled sharply as she started at Rinko.

The two stood in uncomfortable silence as Rinko grew more and more worried that she cut her hair poorly. Finally, she decided to speak up.

"Hikawa-san...?"

"Ah, sorry Shirokane-san," Sayo apologised while blushing, "I didn't mean to stare, it's just that, I noticed you cut your hair."

"Ah... Yes, I wanted to take the first step to change myself, instead of waiting for the world to change for me."

"I see, that's admirable, Shirokane-san, however, I must remind you that you shouldn't forgo healthy sleeping habits during this time."

"Sorry..."

"There's nothing to apologise for Shirokane-san," Sayo said, a playful smile forming on her lips, "personally, I think your new haircut suits you well."

Now it was Rinko's turn to blush as Sayo threw out an unexpected comment, "Th-thank... You..."

"Shall we head to school together, Shirokane-san?"

Rinko felt her cheeks burning and her heart pumping wildly, wasn't Sayo being unusually friendly today?

"That... w-would be nice..."

"Let's go then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anticipate less fluff soon
> 
> I will
> 
> Hurt them


	7. Struggle

"Thank you for your hard work... As always... Hikawa-san..." Rinko said while yawning, the heavy bags under her eyes indicated the little sleep she got.

"Hm?" Sayo was surprised at the sudden gratitude from Rinko, she hadn't even done anything that morning other than offering to walk with Rinko to school.

"You've always helped me so much... Both in and out of school... I don't know how to thank you..."

"It's fine Shirokane-san, we are friends aren't..." Sayo faltered as they reached the school zone, eyeing three people standing near the fences of the school.

Two of them appeared to be normal Haneoka students, one with short pink hair and the other with long red hair. But one of them was dressed in a long black suit with a cape, it's edges trimmed in gold. He had a top hat, covering what seemed to be purple hair under it.

"Shirokane-san, could you please wait here for a moment?" Sayo asked, but it was less of a request than it was a command.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to have to deal with three idiots."

Sayo reached into her bag for her mask, only to pull out the white one with a pink bunny on it, why did she even keep this thing?

She slipped it on and handed her bag to Rinko, who was still too dazed to understand what was happening.

"...thank you, my little kittens, I'll be sure to express my gratitude properly once we head back," the man in the suit said, while the pink-haired girl swooned.

"And what exactly are you going to do here?"

Sayo cracked her knuckles and glared at them as all three of them turned to face her. The man wore an opera mask that was also black and trimmed in gold, what did he think this was? A play?

"So, are you clowns here with your ringleader this time?" Sayo spat, she hated these students with a passion, and to finally catch someone that seemed to be leading them was huge for her.

"It seems I'll have to take my leave now, good luck my kittens~," the man said in a silky voice before throwing up his cape and running off to the back of the school.

"Wait a second-" Sayo started towards him but was blocked by the two girls, "move, now."

"Make us," the red-headed girl said, raising her fists.

"You won't beat both of us!" Said the pink-haired girl.

If it was a fight they wanted, they'll get a fight. Sayo will just have to show them what the strongest student in Hanasakigawa could do.

The two girls charged towards her simultaneously with their heads low, seemingly trying to tackle her. "How bullish," Sayo thought as she slammed her elbow down on the back of the pink-haired girl's skull, sidestepping the other.

The girl instantly fell towards the floor while her friend stopped with surprising agility and hooked Sayo in the face.

Sayo planted her feet on the ground, only to feel arms wrapping themselves around her legs, so she didn't knock the girl out.

Sayo raised her arms and tried to keep her balance as the redhead threw a flurry of punches at her. They were fast but had little strength put in them, pulling back barely after they connected.

Sayo saw an opening and grabbed the redhead by her hair, and slammed her head into the girl's nose. Most people would tear up at even a light jab at their noses, surely a powerful headbutt would stun her for a few seconds while she dealt with the useless one on the floor.

Reaching for the pinkette's hands, Sayo gripped the index finger and middle finger on both hands and pulled back with all her strength, the girl screamed, letting go of Sayo's thighs.

"Himari!" The redhead shouted, charging towards Sayo once again, her face filled with rage as her nose dripped with blood.

Sayo let go of the pinkette's fingers just as the redhead lunged at her. Sayo kicked off the ground with her right leg, using her left leg as a pivot to drive her knee into the redhead's face, who had her hands uselessly stretched out to try and grab Sayo.

"I'll save you!" Sayo heard as she felt nails digging into the sides over her neck, digging deep into her flesh. Sayo threw her head back violently, knocking into the pinkette's face and causing her to fall.

Sayo quickly scooped her legs up and dragged her across the concrete roughly, before knocking her in the jaw.

Arms roughly wrapped around her and squeezed tightly as the redhead grabbed her from the back. Sayo wrapped her right leg around her attacker's leg as she tried to lift Sayo.

Sayo dreaded using her head more than twice in a single fight, but she had no choice as she grabbed the redheads crotch and squeezed roughly. As the redhead cursed upon Sayo's family, Sayo thrashed her head wildly, knocking into the girl's teeth repeatedly.

The girl let go as Sayo fell to all fours on the ground, she reeled from her abdomen being squeezed as she watched the redhead scramble towards the pinkette, cradling her head.

Sayo stood up, cracking her knuckles, approaching the duo on the floor. She hadn't had such a rough time fighting before and she certainly didn't want to let them get the jump on her.

She rubbed her temples, feeling the nail marks as she delivered a swift kick to the redhead's face. Sayo then grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against a tree, not quite choking her but not allowing enough air in for the girl to recover.

"Now tell me," Sayo growled, breathing heavily against her mask, " who was the fancy man who sent you here?"

The redhead choked and sputtered, grabbing onto Sayo's hand, pulling pathetically with no strength as tears started forming in her eyes.

"The yakuza? A teacher? One of Hina's producers?" Sayo asked, losing her patience, the mere thought of Hina being behind all of this infuriated her to no end.

"If you don't tell me, I won't let go, SO ANSWER ME!" Sayo screamed into the girl's face as the tears finally started streaming down her cheeks, mixing in with the blood from her nose to drip down onto her uniform in a red and wet mess.

"Hi-hikawa-san!" Sayo heard Rinko call out, "you'll kill her!"

Rinko ran up to the tree and pried Sayo's hands off the redhead, who promptly collapsed on the floor.

"Please... Go..." Rinko told the pinkette, who quickly helped her friend up and dragged them out of the school zone.

"Why..." Sayo started, "why did you help them?"

"Hikawa-san..." Rinko whimpered, "you're scaring me..."

Sayo hadn't realised it, but she was glaring at Rinko, her fists clenched tightly by her sides, nails digging into her palms. Rinko's tearful eyes and expression immediately made Sayo lose all her anger.

"I-I'm sorry Shirokane-san," Sayo apologised quickly, "the adrenaline from just now must have been getting to me..."

"I'm sorry..." Rinko muttered, fidgeting with her skirt.

"What for? It's fine that you let them go, I'll admit, I got a little carried away, I might have accidentally suffocated the girl," Sayo reassured, "I should be thanking you for calming me down, Shirokane-san."

"I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything for you..." Rinko whispered, "I couldn't help you at all..."

"It's fine, Shirokane-san, you can help me clean my injuries, as you always do," Sayo said with a soft smile.

"Thank you Hikawa-san... For not..." Rinko trailed off as she looked up at Sayo, couldn't help but admire Rinko's eyes, they weren't a common sight before today, being hidden under long bangs.

"It's fine, Shirokane-san," Sayo said as a wave of nausea hit her, "we can talk about this..."

"Hikawa-san...?" Sayo heard Rinko call out, but she was so far away...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help


	8. Care

Rinko didn't like crying outside, she preferred bottling up her feelings and leaving them until she gets home, when she can wash all of them away with her piano.

However, she still sobbed uselessly as Sayo fainted onto her. Watching Sayo fight two people at once and get hit so many times had already been heartbreaking, then having Sayo's glare trained upon her brought her close to tears, she had never seen Sayo's eyes filled with so much anger and hate. Then the dam came crashing down as Sayo collapsed onto the smaller girl.

"Hikawa-san, please wake up..." Rinko sobbed as she carried Sayo on her back, both their school bags forgotten on the ground. Her legs trembled and ached under the weight and her arms struggled to hold Sayo as her entire body screamed in fatigue and agony.

But after Sayo fought so hard for the school, there was no way Rinko could let Sayo down now.

"Rinko-chan!" Rinko heard a familiar voice call out, "we're coming to help!"

Rinko sighed in relief as she heard two people running up to her, Kanon always was reliable, and if she was here that means that...

"Please don't push yourself too hard, Rinko-chan," the actress's perfect voice called out.

Rinko fell to her knees as she felt the weight being lifted from her shoulders, she looked around, realising she had already made it inside the school gates.

"Are you okay, Rinko-chan?" Kanon asked, holding Sayo up by her armpits, "can you help her to the nurse's office, Chisato-chan?"

"It would be my pleasure."

\------------------

"Thank you, Shirasagi-san, Matsubara-san," Rinko said while bowing as low as she could.

"Please get up, Rinko-chan!" Kanon exclaimed, straightening Rinko's back for her, "it was nothing, in fact, we would have been able to help you from outside the school if we were paying closer attention..."

"Kanon-chan is right," Chisato said, a smile plastered on her face, "isn't it right for friends to help each other?"

"It's just... I don't want to be a burden..."

"You aren't a burden, Rinko-chan, we all have our own strengths!" Kanon said while patting Rinko on the shoulder, "I'm pretty strong, but I can't fight like Sayo... I can't even find my way through town sometimes..."

"And I'm terrible at switching trains, it is a miracle Kanon-chan and I get anywhere together," Chisato sighed, "though, what happened to Sayo-chan just now? Was it the Haneoka students again?"

Rinko grimaced as she recounted the earlier events. She had been so tired that she barely noticed Sayo's words, suddenly, Sayo was putting on her mask handing her bag to Rinko. Then Rinko noticed the two Haneoka students and the weird man wearing a stage costume she felt she saw somewhere before. Rinko had wanted to run up to them to help Sayo fight, but she knew she'd end up burdening Sayo than contributing.

"A weird man in a stage costume?" Chisato mused, "are you sure you got enough sleep last night, Rinko-chan?"

"I-I..." Rinko faltered, it was true she is rather sleep-deprived, but she was sure of what she saw.

"We should trust Rinko-chan," Kanon said encouragingly, "in any case, we should report this to the police soon!"

"No!" Chisato and Rinko shouted simultaneously, shocking each other. The room filled with silence as the actress and the president stared at each other, what did Chisato want?

Chisato cleared her throat, "I was about to say, that these issues are probably best to be resolved within the school, and given that Sayo-chan has fought so many students, she's bound to face charges for some of them."

"We don't want that do we," Chisato said, turning to Rinko with a smile on her face, "Rinko-chan?"

Suddenly, the school bell started ringing, it was already time for class.

"Ah, we should hurry back!" Kanon said nervously, already stepping towards the door.

"You two go on ahead... I'll stay here with Sayo..."

"But Rinko-chan, you'll miss class."

"I... Don't trust the nurse here.... to do anything..."

Kanon and Chisato grimaced as they recalled the nurse giving a choking student the Heimlich manoeuvre wrongly, she would have died if it wasn't for another teacher.

"Okay, Rinko-chan, we'll help inform your form teacher."

"Thank you, Shirasagi-san, Matsubara-san."

Rinko watched the door shut before sighing with relief. She didn't know why, but Chisato Shirasagi scared her. The girl was so perfect, a child actress, a good student, the bassist of the successful idol band Pastel*Palettes, someone like Rinko paled in comparison.

Rinko sighed as she turned to Sayo, who had turned to sleep on her side during their conversation. Sayo's fists were bloodied and bruised from the fight, same with the back of her hair, her neck had some marks where Himari pierced Sayo's skin. Her arms and legs had a few wounds from her tumbling around during the fight too.

Himari...

Rinko pulled a cloth out of the drawer and went to wash it at the sink. What were Afterglows drummer and bassist doing outside their school, with a weird man no less? Ako had told Rinko that Afterglow wouldn't involve themselves in the conflict, so why would they suddenly turn up here?

Carefully, Rinko wiped Sayo's knuckles down, careful not to put too much pressure on the bruises, she then washed it again and cleaned the wounds on Sayo, applying antiseptic cream she found in the medical drawer. Sayo's face grew into a grimace and winced a few times whenever she accidentally put too much pressure. Gently, Rinko separated the bloodstained strands of her and wiped them down too, the dried blood and dirt falling off in small flecks onto the floor.

Finally, she was done. Rinko sat down on a stool and gently held Sayo's bruised hands within her own. She admired Sayo's long fingers, rough and covered in callouses they were rough and covered in callouses, but they were the most beautiful Rinko had ever seen. All the effort Sayo put in, for the school, for her guitar, it all showed on those hands.

"We all have our own strengths!" Kanon's words echoed in Rinko's mind, but what did Rinko have to show? Compared to everyone around her, she was nothing, everything she had now was from the effort of those around her.

Rinko yawned, resting her head on the soft bed, she could afford to close her eyes for a few minutes, rest would distract her from those thoughts.

\------------------

Sayo woke up starting at the ceiling, her entire body felt stiff and numb, flexing her fingers, she winced. That's right, she was just in a fight just now.

Did she faint? Sayo looked to her right, it was the nurse's office. Suddenly, a single thought pierced her mind, driving the fatigue out of her body.

Was Rinko safe?

Sayo jolted up, ready to storm Haneoka by herself before noticing the weight on her lap.

"Sh-shirokane-san?" Sayo whisper shouted.

Rinko was sleeping, heads and arms rested on Sayo's lap, light snoring came from under the mess of black hair that was covering her face.

Sayo's face felt like it was boiling as she turned bright red. What was she supposed to do now? Should she wake her up? No one could possibly see the student council president sleeping on the schools worst delinquent, it would ruin her reputation.

"Hikawa-san..." Rinko muttered in her sleep.

Sayo could afford to stay like this for a while.

Laying back down on the bed, Sayo gently pushed the hair out of the way of Rinko's face, even while sleeping, Rinko Shirokane still looked so beautiful.

"Rest well, Shirokane-san."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sayo pls realise u love her,  
> Pls


	9. Tell me the meaning of love

Sayo sighed as she glared at the dark clouds looming overhead. The one time she had came to the shopping district, the one time she had wanted to get something nice for Rinko as a thank you gift, it had to rain.

Sayo shouldered her guitar case and sped up her walking, hoping to get to some shelter before the downpour started.

"Hazawa Coffee?" Sayo muttered to herself, she found herself standing outside an old café. Few customers sat inside, after all, it was 4 pm on a Monday and it was about to rain, not exactly prime time for coffee. Sayo couldn't afford to buy any drinks if she wanted to buy a gift for Rinko, however, she would have to try for she needed some shelter to wait out the rain.

A small bell rung as Sayo opened the door, how long has it been since she had seen one of these in a shop?

A brown-haired girl appeared from behind a door, presumably from the kitchen, she laughed at something before stepping behind the counter and spotting Sayo.

"Oh," the brown-haired girl said, "welcome to Hazawa Coffee!"

"Sorry miss, but may I wait out the rain here, I promise I won't cause trouble," Sayo asked.

The girl looked taken aback, before giggling, "I've never heard someone ask that before."

"I am unable to afford any drinks at the moment, however, I promise I will come back as a paying customer in the future," Sayo said, bowing deeply.

"Uhhh," the girl sounded flustered, "please stand up, it's completely fine!"

"Thank you so much, miss..."

"Tsugumi," the girl said with a wide smile, "Hazawa Tsugumi."

\-------------------

"I am unable to accept this Hazawa-san," Sayo stated firmly.

"Come on Sayo-san, just take it! Treat it as a complementary cup for your first time here!"

"Complementary cups aren't usually full-sized."

Sayo found herself sitting by the counter of Hazawa Coffee talking to the young barista, Hazawa Tsugumi, about coffee. What had started as an innocent conversation about coffee had turned into light bickering as Tsugumi tried to offer Sayo a cup of dark roast.

"Hazawa-san, I am already in your debt for staying here without being a customer, I couldn't possibly accept this."

"Just take it Sayo-san," Tsugumi pouted before a smug smile that reminded her of Lisa grew on the girl's lips, "or I'll kick you out."

Deep down, Sayo already knew Tsugumi wasn't going to kick her out into the rain, judging by her character, she'd more likely give up before kicking Sayo out. However, given this girl's insistence...

"Fine..." Sayo said, reaching out to take the cup, a brilliant smile flashed on Tsugumi's face. Blowing on the surface, Sayo took a sip of the dark coffee.

"How is it?" Tsugumi asked excitedly.

"It suits my tastes, it's rich flavour and aroma is one of the best I've tasted, thank you for this coffee, Hazawa-san."

"Really?!" Tsugumi shouted in excitement, drawing some stared from the other tables, "it's that good?"

"I wouldn't lie about my criticisms, Hazawa-san."

"I haven't had much practice making dark roast coffee, so I didn't think I would be that good, but hearing that makes me really happy!"

"Don't doubt yourself Hazawa-san, and you'll have much more time to practice in the future when I visit."

Sayo smiled as she watched the innocent girl giggle, taking another sip of her coffee, she thought back to Rinko. How much Sayo would give to have a conversation like this with Rinko, to share a cup of coffee on a rainy day with no one around to distract her.

"Hello? earth to Sayo-san~" Tsugumi called out. Sayo snapped out of her thoughts as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Hazawa-san, I got distracted there for a moment."

"Hehe, for a moment?" Tsugumi teased, "you were smiling at your coffee without saying anything for a good minute there Sayo, we're you thinking about someone?"

Sayo's blushed furiously from the embarrassment, she took another sip of coffee only to find it was piping hot. Sayo coughed out the coffee and slammed down the cup, spilling some of its contents.

"Sayo-san are you okay?!" 

Tsugumi swiftly wiped up whatever coffee had spilt out before handing Sayo a cup of cold water, which she gratefully accepted.

"I'm sorry Hazawa-san," Sayo said between sips of water, "I didn't expect the coffee to be so hot."

"It's alright Sayo-san, just be more careful."

"You were right, though."

"Huh?"

"I was thinking about someone."

Sayo stared into the reflection in her coffee, should she be sharing so much with someone she just met? No, Tsugumi is a friend, there's no reason for her to think like that.

"...do you mind sharing with me who?" Tsugumi asked curiously.

"Hazawa-san, do you know what it means to love someone?"

"H-huh?" Tsugumi stammered, "that's a very sudden question. Well uhh, loving someone means you like them a lot right? And uhh... you want to go out with them?"

Sayo considered these things, Rinko certainly was someone Sayo was fond of, and Sayo certainly wouldn't mind dating Rinko.

"I... I think I..." Sayo wanted to say it, but no words came out of her mouth.

"It's okay Sayo-san, you don't have to say it now," Tsugumi said with a reassuring smile, "you just need to know it."

"But... What if she doesn't feel the same way, I'm a harsh and cold person, why would anyone like me?"

Tsugumi's eyes widened, before crossing her arms and pouting, "Sayo-san, don't say that about yourself! You're a great person from what I've seen!"

"That's the problem, you've only seen me in this café, you've never seen me outside, how would you know what I'm like?"

Tsugumi grimaced for a moment, deep in consideration, "Sayo-san, while it's true that I haven't seen you outside and I don't know you very well, but I can tell, maybe it's instinct, maybe it's just how I see you, but I think you're a very kind person Sayo-san, and I wouldn't doubt you'd treat someone you love with the same kindness and respect you've shown here."

Sayo's reflection in the coffee glared back at her, was it true? Did Sayo really change? Has the old Sayo, the one who couldn't care less about others, the one that chased away her loving sister disappeared?

And what would they do even if they went out together? Between their new band and school, how much time could they possibly have? Not to mention the Haneoka students that have been getting more aggressive than ever, the last two even outright asked Sayo for a fight instead of running away. What if they hurt Rinko?

The stakes were too high, to want to be with Rinko was a selfish thought. 

"Thank you Hazawa-san, I think I know what I must do now."

"Really?" Tsugumi said excitedly, "that's great! I wish you good luck, Sayo-san!"

Sayo's reflection betrayed no emotion, no anger, no sadness, no remorse as Sayo made up her mind. Someone like Sayo didn't deserve to love a girl like Rinko, so she'll just have to bury her feelings, suffocate them until they die off and wither into nothing but a painful memory.

"Thank you, Hazawa-san."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Splish splash I'm utter trash uwu

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest I need this SayoRin food myself but-
> 
> Please leave feedback, I need it.


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